Some of my account will be sketchy because a lot of this data is not fresh in my memory.

After New Orleans was captured by Union Forces on April 25, 1862 the Iroquois an Ocean sailing gun ship sailed to Baton Rouge, she anchored and a lone officer got on bank and walked through town, eyewitness's observed a "visibly shakened" man, he asked for directions to the Mayor's office. He arrived at the office of the Mayor he asked him to surrender the town, which he did, the Mayor must have heard that U.S. Admiral Farragut's fleet was at New Orleans and feared.

Things proceeded peaceably and General Williams Command stepped ashore in "Red Stick", Baton Rouges nickname that originated with a French explorer, so named because he saw a red totem on the bank with fish and animal head attached to it. It is believed that it marked the territory between the Bayougoula Indians and another tribe (if I recall the Houma Indian's) The Union troops set up their camps.

Admiral Farragut arrives aboard his flag ship the USS Hartford (pretty sure) with the rest of his fleet which loaded coal from the Baton Rouge wharf (no levee's then), Farragut set his aim higher than than little Baton Rouge, he was salivating for Vicksburg.

The Northern solder's suffered under the hand of their commander, General Williams, he was a glory seeking, by the books, West Point officer. At the staging area for the capture of New Orleans, Ship Island, off Louisiana's coast, he marched his men with full pack, at the double, through the sand, that day he gave a lot of his men a hernia. Bivouacked in Baton Rouge this uncouth officer again marched his men, full pack, at the double, but this time in late July, in sweltering heat, many of his men went on sick call.